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Clowing Around With Coptic Soldier

Hip Hop MC Coptic Soldier, or Luke Girgis on Christmas Day, is proud of what he does and he is inspired by the other MCs that he rolls with like Phatchance, Mind Over Matter, Johnny Utah and even HR King. This passion and belief in what he and his friends do lead Girgis to start his own Hip Hop management brand called The Girgis Circus. And it’s damn fine thing that Girgis has taken the reigns of his posse because earlier this year both Coptic Soldier and Phatchance were unearthed by Triple J and made feature artists on myspace. 100% Hip Hop diehard Rezo caught up with Girgis to talk about the rise and rise of Coptic Soldier and their upcoming show at First Floor.

Firstly, tell us about how you got into music and why?

I heard Stan by Eminem, I was hooked!

I get the feeling you’re Hip Hop deep and more, intelligent. How do you see yourself?

I’m not sure about more intelligent but I like to be more reflective in my music I guess.

In 2010, what are some of your inspirations and influences?

Seeing how much of a big impact Bliss N Eso have made on their album release this year has been a huge inspiration to me. Those guys have put together such an incredible work of art and are blowing up across so many different markets. Exciting times for our scene.

Tell us what’s been happening in the studio? Any cool mixes, EPs, albums or remixes coming up?

I’m working on a double disc acoustic EP with Phatchance at the moment. We are turning some of our older material into acoustic versions and creating some fresh songs from the ground up – can’t wait to release this material!

Tell us about Girgis Circus – what’s that all about?

Well I’ve basically taken on a lot of management duties for my friends music, working on getting the most out of our art has always been a big passion of mine. The government needs to me operate under a trading name, so I chose “The Girgis Circus”.

Tell us about the relationship with the boys; how important is that camaraderie?

I am very close to everyone I work with. Phatchance, Mind Over Matter, Johnny Utah and even HR King are all some of my closest friends. The friendship, coupled with my love for their music are definitely the key motivators for doing what I do.

And what else is on the agenda for you?

Well after I finish the acoustic EP im going to get stuck straight into my debut solo album and organising rehearsals for the next tour, which should be an acoustic one!

Finally, what can we expect from you on tour?

Phatchance and I have been working on our set for a good three years now, hopefully you will see the result of our hard work in an engaging live show that showcases the best of our recorded material.

Coptic Soldier [AUS] and Phat Chance [AUS] are playing First Floor on Monday November 1 [Cup Eve].